2009 Hockey Canada Cup begins Monday

The Hockey Canada Cup, an exhibition tournament which is serving as a test event for the 2010 Olympics, kicks off tomorrow in Vancouver. The tourney includes the top teams in women's hockey: the US, Canada, Sweden, and Finland.

The IIHF announcement tells you a bit more about the event, as does the Hockey Canada announcement. The games will be webcast (available for a fee) on hockeycanada.ca.

The US opens the tourney Monday evening at 5 PM CT v. Finland; Canada takes on Sweden at 9:30 PM CT. The preliminary round runs 8/31 - 9/3, with the semifinals on 9/5 and the medal games on 9/6. Here's the full schedule.

Team USA, coached by Badger Women's Head Coach Mark Johnson, includes Badgers Kerry Weiland, Molly Engstrom, Jinelle Zaugg-Siergiej, Jessie Vetter, Erika Lawler, Angie Keseley, Meghan Duggan, and Hilary Knight. Team Canada includes Badgers Carla MacLeod and Meaghan Mikkelson.